Rockies Farm Report

A newsletter showcasing the stars of tomorrow

Issue: April Opening Day 2018

Feels Like The First Time: Opening Day First Timers

Of the 25 players on the Rockies Opening Day roster, Ryan McMahon, Mike Tauchman and Pat Valaika are the only players to be on their first Opening Day roster. The last time the Rockies had that few players making their first Opening Day roster was 2013.

Right-handed pitcher Jeff Hoffman and left-handed pitcher Zac Rosscup were also with the club for their first MLB Opening Day, but started the season on the disabled list with shoulder and finger injuries, respectively.

McMahon, 23, made his Major League debut on Aug. 12, 2017, and he batted .319 (22-for-69) with eight doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, four walks and 12 strikeouts in 30 Cactus League games this spring.

Tauchman, 27, made his Major League debut for the Rockies in 2017 after being named Pacific Coast League Post-Season All-Star, batting .331 in 100 games with Triple-A Albuquerque, the third-highest batting average in the league. This spring, Tauchman batted .333 (20-for-60) with three doubles, four triples (tied for most in MLB), one home run, five RBI, six walks and three stolen bases, earning him the Abby Greer Award for the Rockies Spring Training MVP.

Valaika, 25, appeared in 110 games for the Rockies in 2017 following his April 18 recall from Albuquerque. He hit .328 (19-for-58) with eight doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI as a pinch-hitter in 2017. His 16 RBI were the most by a rookie since 1958 and he led all MLB pinch-hitters in RBI, runs (12), doubles and extra-base hits (12). Valaika was tied for first in home runs.

Catching Up: This Year's Award Winners

In the final days of Spring Training, a few annual awards were announced. Infielder Ryan McMahon was named the Doug Million Minor League Player of the Year, while Coordinator of Minor League Operations Jesse Stender was named the recipient of the fourth annual P.J. Carey Player Development Award, and outfielder Mike Tauchman was awarded the 15th annual Abby Greer Award.

McMahon batted a combined .355 (167-for-470) with 39 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs, 88 RBI, 41 walks and 11 stolen bases across 119 games between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque before making his Major League debut in August. He was named the MiLB.com's Fan's Choice Best Offensive Player in the Minor Leagues, as well as MiLB.com Organization All-Star and a Baseball America Triple-A All-Star. McMahon participated in the 2017 Futures Game and was named the Double-A Eastern League Player of the Month of April and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Player of the Month in June.

Stender enters his seventh year in the Rockies Player Development Department and his fifth as the club's coordinator of Minor League operations. Working alongside Senior Director of Player Development Zach Wilson and Manager of Player Development Chris Forbes, he assists in all aspects of the department and is directly responsible for many administrative tasks within the Rockies' Minor League operations.

As mentioned above, Tauchman appeared in 28 games this spring and hit .333 (20-for-60) with three doubles, a tied-for-MLB lead four triples, one home run and five RBI. The outfielder also played strong defense and impressed coaches and staff in the way he carried himself and prepared every day during Spring Training camp. The Abby Greer award is presented to the Rockies Spring Training Most Valuable Player and was created in 2004 in honor and remembrance of Abby Greer, a special Rockies fan from Boulder, Colo. Abby loved all sports, but especially loved baseball and the Colorado Rockies. In August of 2002, at the age of six, Abby lost her life in a tragic accident near Coors Field. Past winners of this award include Stephen Cardullo (2017), Trevor Story (2016), Corey Dickerson (2013), Ryan Spilborghs (2009), Troy Tulowitzki (2007) and Cory Sullivan (2005).

Fresh Faces: Minor League Staff Changes And Additions

The Rockies will be adding a second Dominican Summer League team this year, as well as several reassignments (old role is shown in parenthesis in the table below) and new additions to the Minor League staff for 2018. These new assignments include a new hitting and bunting coordinator, outfield and baserunning coordinator and 13 other coaching staff changes. The full breakdown of the 2018 Minor League staff is below with changes for the 2018 season in bold.